Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

Original poster

TMI....DD is extremely constipated.. help please?

13 replies

RippingYarns · 30/09/2013 18:47

DD is 6yrs, ASD/SPD and constipated

she has the typical limited diet that lots of autistic DCs have, but she does eat wholemeal bread, jacket potato (incl the skin), orange juice and ripe bananas

she eats very little, so i make sure she has lots of fats as well as fibre, but i think her issue started with not drinking enough, she needs to be prompted to drink, and so far, school have been very lacksadaisical about this

On the GPs advice, she is taking 15ml of lactulose twice daily, and has been since last Thursday, but things don't seem to have improved.

she bleeds fresh blood when she poos, and gets extremely distressed about this. she really resists me touching her when she's in pain, and i'm now nursing a nice bruise where she kicked me because i asked to see her bottom Sad

she has just been for a poo now, and i think she's got slight damage to her perineum, it's very red and i'm not sure if it's bleeding

any suggestions i can use tonight until i can try to get her another GP appt?

OP posts:
chocnomore · 30/09/2013 19:28

your poor Dd.

I would try to see the GP ASAP and ask about movicol.

hope you get it sorted soon!

Original poster
RippingYarns · 30/09/2013 19:41

thank you, choc

it's horrible to see her in so much pain and distress, which of course is self-perpetuating when you have sensory issues

i tried to get her to drink some smoothies the other day, the shrieking was enough to put anyone off Sad

OP posts:
chocnomore · 30/09/2013 19:46

I would really try to get her seen tomorrow. if she is badly constipatrd she will need something.just drinking and home remedies won't sort it. you also need something to break this vicious circle.

Original poster
RippingYarns · 30/09/2013 19:51

yes, we were there last week, he gave me the lactulose

i've given her some calpol now, not even sure why really, i just feel so helpless, and the calpol pacified her

OP posts:
PrinceRogersNelson · 30/09/2013 20:05

My dd was like this. She would bleed after doing massive stools. It was awful.

Movical helped, but what really helped was going gluten free. She does still get constipated, but she hasn't bled since.

She has been constipated again recently and we have cut all (gluten free) bread and she has poo'd yesterday and today (oh the joy!).

I hope she gets some relief soon. It is awful :(

Original poster
RippingYarns · 30/09/2013 20:27

i've often thought about gluten free, after hearing lots of positive stories here, but she's got such a limited diet already, it's hard enough to get her to eat what she does Confused

i'll talk to the GP about that too, i think, thanks for reminding me of it

OP posts:
chocnomore · 30/09/2013 20:32

snap. we went also glutenfree. we are still on movicol but cutting out gluten made quiet a difference.

davidsotherhalf · 30/09/2013 21:03

dd is on tablets for constipation, gp gave her a few different meds first but they made her bleed, have you tried natural senna tablets? (boots own make) sorry not sure how old your dd is but ask at boots if senna can be used,

neverputasockinatoaster · 30/09/2013 22:17

DD has massive issues with constipation.

She was on movicol for ages - a large 'clearout' dose and then a small maintenance dose tailing off to nothing over the course of 18 months.

Every now and then she gets blocked up - usually linked to not drinking enough - and we have to give her a few doses again.

Lactulose did nothing for DD - seemed to just make the stools bigger if anything and with lactulose you do have to ensure they drink loads. DD too has a limited diet - mostly beige food!

You have my sympathy - we've just had a horrendous week of swollen tummy, pants constantly streaked with poo, grumpy DD, long chats about how a poo might hurt but only for a few minutes which would be better than a sore tummy for days........

I was about to break out the movicol but a warm bath and a few slices of malt loaf did the trick instead!

MedusaIsHavingaBadHairday · 30/09/2013 23:56

Movicol is definitely better than lactulose, so ask the GP for it. Also lactulose can damage teeth, something we didn't know until DD1 had been on it for years :(
My Ds2 (asd) is on movicol permanently since a major fecal impaction landed him in hospital for a week and it works. We adjust the dose to make sure he doesn't get backed up.. at impaction he had to have 16 sachets a day to clear it out Shock but now he's just one one daily unless he hasn't been.
We try to limit the bread /gluten stuff too.

Original poster
RippingYarns · 01/10/2013 09:37

Managed to get an appt this morning at the emergency clinic and saw the same doctor as last week, DD now on movicol and has cream for her fissure

Follow up in 3 weeks, and gluten free is definitely on the agenda

Thank you all for your advice and kind words

OP posts:
PrinceRogersNelson · 01/10/2013 16:38

Good news. We don't find gluten free hard to do. Not at home at least. Let me know if you want to know anything. A pm is fine if you'd prefer.

Original poster
RippingYarns · 02/10/2013 07:33

I've decided have tests done to see if DD is gluten intolerant before changing her food, we have enough refusals around food already, and don't want to rock the boat unnecessarily.

I'll ask the GP at our follow-up appt

Thank you again

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page